Improvement in water-wheels



'itin-md Staten J. S. ANDERSON, 0F OCONOMOWOC, WISCONSIN.

Letters Patent No. 96,182, dated'October 26, 1869.

IMPROYEMENT IIIN WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to In these Lettera Patentand making putt of thelime.

To all whom it may concern My invention relates tewater-wheels, of theclass known as the uudershot-wheels, and consists in mounting the wheelin a frame, so constructed and arranged, that by means of simplemechanical devices, the wheel may be elevated and lowered at will,

to suit different stages of water, without changing -in any way theposition ofthe devices throng); which the motion of4 the wheel istransmitted.

In the drawings- `Figure l is a sectional View on the line x :t of fig.

l2, and

Figure 2-is a sectional view on the line yy of fig. 1.

,Asis well known, many streams cannot be damnicd without causingthewater to overflow too much of the surrounding territory.

This arises veither from the slight descent ofthe water, or from `thenature ofthe banks of the stream, and yet it is often very desirable toutilize the power of the running water. v

This is usually done with the ordinary undershotwheel, but as thesestreams often vary in depth, and sometimes rise very rapidly, the usualmethod o' setting these wheels does notadmit of their beingconvenientlyand readily adjusted to suit the varying depth of the water.

The object of my invention is to supply a want of this kind.

I construct a stout, strong frame, A, of any size` desired, and out ofwood or other suitable materials, and provide it with a water-slide orchute, B, inclined sufcient-ly to secure a rapid flow of the water.

WVithin the frame A, l mount a second frame, C, consisting of theside-pieces a and band the endpiece c, in' such a manner that it willrock easily in its bearings, as clearly shown in g. 1.' l

The bearings for this second frame consist 'of jou nal-boxes d d',attached to the sides of the main frame A.

In the side a, of the frame U, I place a solid axle or journal, c, andin theopposite side b, a hollow axle or journal, f, as also shown infig, 1, so that the frame may rock easily in theseA bearings.

Between and upon the front ends of the frame C, I

mount an undershot-wheel, D, in bearings suitable for the purpose,"andas clearly shown in figs. 1 and 2,n

making it in size to correspond with the main frame A and the. slide orchute B,and provide its periphery with a series of curved 'buckets,.E,as shown in iig. 2, and with braces y, as shown in iig. 1. v

On the upper side of the' main frame A, and so as to be inline with thebearings'of the frame C, I mount a shaft,' F, in bearings h and i, asclearly shown in iig. 1.

This shaft passes through the hollow `journal j, iu such a manner as toturn freely therein.

Nearv its inner endris keyed 'a cog-wheel, G, into which gears a largecogewheel, H, which is connected to and passes around the middle of thewater-wheelv D, as clearly shown in iig. 2., soithat, as the waterwheelmoves, the shaft Fis revolved o1" turned, Vby

means of the wheel G.

The rear end of. the frame C, I so construct as to have itcounterbalance 'the weight of' the water-wheel,

.mounted on .its 'opposite end.

This may be do'neby attaching iron \veights, or constructing it so thatit may be loaded.

I also mount in the rear end of .this frame C, a shaft,

' j, in suitable bearings k, and provide itwith two small cog-wheels l,arranged so as to gear into curved racks m, attached to the front sidesof the rear posts of the main frame A, as clearly shown in both figures.

On the outer end of the' shaft j, I attach a large cogwheel, I, intowhich a smaller one, n, is arranged to gear.

This small cog-wheel n isconnected t0 a shaft or axle, havingitsbearings in the frame C, and is provided Witha crank, o, as shown infig. 1.

Having thus constructed and arranged my frames, 'and mounted my wheeltherein, and attached myv mechanical devices, it isready for operation.

The stream intwhich it is to be placed should b narrowed so as toconfine its current, if necessary, to the place where it is desired thatthe wheel be located.

Having done this, I place the frame in the current,

By this construction and arrangement, it will be seen vthat my wheel'can be made to run in streams, without creating mill-ponds for thepurpose; that it can be easily adjusted, to suit the varying heights ofHaving thus described my invention,

What I claim, is-

The combination ofi)J supply-chute,l B, and the wheel D, mounted inan-oscillating-frameg'G, so arranged as to adj ust the wheel in relationrizo the chute, substantiall y as described.

VWitnesses:

J. MCKENNEY, H. B. MUNN.

J. s. ANDERSON.

